Nostalgic For Disaster
by Discombobulated-Chum-Bucket
Summary: For James Potter, head journalist of the Daily Prophet and four-time winner of the Witch Weekly’s Most Charming Smile competition, life couldn’t be any more perfect. But what happens when his arch nemesis, Lily Evans, comes back into his life? R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Nostalgic for disaster by Discombobulated-chum-bucket Nostalgic for disaster by Discombobulated-chum-bucket

**Summary:** For James Potter, head journalist of the Daily Prophet and four-time winner of the Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile competition, life couldn't be any more perfect. Enter one perpetually narked off Lily Evans...Insanity ensues. AU LJ.

**Disclaimer**: As much as I'd like to claim it as my own, I must say that it takes a true genius to think up something like Harry Potter. I'm just another bored teenager up to her ears in homework, how could you possibly mistake me for the mastermind that is J.K Rowling. Besides, if it were mine, it would be the James Potter series not Harry Potter…and James'd have dimples…and he would be head over heels for me…hehehe

**A/N:** The Bucket's back and better than ever. Um…I read the stuff that I had put up last year and cringed with every word. So I am thinking of deleting it. Cowers in fear I'm really sorry but it was written last year when I was on a sugar high and is a really stupid piece of writing.

**NOW ONWARDS**

**x.O.x**

**SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR…READ AND THEN REVIEW!!**

**x.O.x**

**Chapter One**

James Potter raked a hand through his already tousled black hair and strutted his way past a row of desks, occasionally smirking at the odd girl as he walked by.

James was happy, very happy. And why shouldn't he be? After all, it was no small feat to become head journalist of the Daily Prophet within only two years when there were many much more older and more experienced workers than him.

But if truth be told, it wasn't just his writing skills he had to thank when it came to the crunch (even though they were a major part of it), but also his looks and even more so, his personality, that seemed to charm most people.

"Oi, Potter!" boomed a jovial voice. James turned around to see his boss and best friend, Sirius Black grinning maniacally at him.

James Potter and Sirius Black had bonded on their first ride on the Hogwarts Express over a mutual passion for writing. Since then the two had been almost inseparable.

They were soon joined by Remus Lupin, a brilliant boy who had been shunned for a large part of his life due to his lycanthropy and a rather dull, mousy boy named Peter Pettigrew, who the other three had rescued from a mob of burly Slytherins.

The four boys quickly gained quite a reputation at Hogwarts. With the combination of brains (Remus), looks (Sirius) and talent on the Quidditch pitch (James) they had quickly climbed the social ladder. Peter on the other hand, simply tagged along with the other three, unsure as to why he had been chosen to be friends with such popular people and yet honoured.

As the years went past, the boys grew older but still one thing remained the same: James's and Sirius's love for writing. Together they started up Hogwarts's own newsletter, which satirised the Daily Prophet, the Wizarding newspaper that, according to the dastardly duo, "was going to the dogs".

When they had graduated, James and Sirius joined the Daily Prophet. The two took the entire paper by storm. Not only was the pair rather gifted in the looks department but they also introduced a new flavour to the old newspaper.

If James had been a talented writer, it was nothing compared to Sirius Black.

Within the first year, after writing a very daring and compelling article on the lack of backbone in the former minister for Magic, when it came to opposing the ever growing dark forces, Sirius had impressed the editor in chief so much that he was promoted to Junior Editor.

"Hey Padfoot, missed me?" James said punching his best mate in the arm.

"No, I see you everyday unfortunately." Sirius replied. "Anyway James, as I was about to say, the public is going wild. They absolutely loved your story on the scandal at the ministry and its lack of security. The Daily Prophet is the No. 1 Wizarding newspaper and I owe it partly to you, and mainly to me of course. (Here James rolled his eyes) Oh and congratulations on winning the Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile competition _again_. It's unbelievable; the whole wizarding world is in turmoil thanks to Voldemort and Witch Weekly still do that stupid competition every year. What's even more insane is that _you_ won when I'm still alive and kicking."

"Gee thanks," James relied dryly.

"Oh yeah and one more thing, James, we have a new journalist coming in today. His majesty, the editor in chief, says that she's just transferred back to England from Germany. You two are going to be working together on our next story. Can you come by my office at two so you can meet each other?"

"Of course I'll be there. I would never miss the chance to meet a hot new journalist."

**x.O.x**

Lily Evans smoothed out nonexistent wrinkles in her bottle green robe. She pulled her thick wavy auburn hair into a ponytail and then pulled it back out again. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her bright green eyes stared back at her worriedly. Lily sighed and swept her hair into its previous ponytail,

"Lily! Stop! You've been fixing and re-fixing your hair for at least thirty minutes!" Lily's best friend Alice Longbottom burst out. After watching Lily fidget nervously with her hair for the past half hour Alice had finally had enough.

"Oh Alice, I'm so sorry!" Lily said wringing her hands in despair, "I'm just so nervous about going to work at the Prophet. It's the biggest newspaper in the wizarding world and I don't want to blow it on something small."

"Lily, you'll be fine. You look gorgeous. I'd better go now; Frank's waiting for me at home. In fact…" Alice added checking her watch, "You'd better get going as well. It's almost 2 o'clock."

"Thanks, Alice. See you at six for dinner," And with that Lily turned on the spot and disappeared with a faint popping sound.

**x.O.x**

Sirius leaned back in his chair, put his feet up on the desk and closed his eyes. The day was almost over. All that was left was…

"'Sir, the new journalist is here. Should I send her in?" A mousy haired youth's head spoke from with in the fire that was crackling away merrily in the fireplace.

"Yeah, floo her up." Sirius replied without opening his eyes.

"Yes, sir."

Minutes later, a girl who looked no more than twenty ungracefully tumbled out of the fireplace where the young boy's head had been.

She picked herself up of the ground, straightened out her robes and tomato-red hair and turned to face the desk where Sirius behind which Sirius was lazily sitting. She stood awkwardly at the desk unsure of whether to wake the handsome young man who was apparently sleeping. There was something familiar about his face but she couldn't quite place her finger on it but seeing him seemed to bring back memories of Hogwarts; of life before she moved away.

She cleared her throat and Sirius's eyes flickered open.

"Sorry, I drifted off there…" He trailed off as he made eye contact with the woman standing before him. "No way. James is gonna love this." He muttered to himself.

At the mention of "James" something clicked into place and recognition flickered across the woman's face.

"Sirius Black," She said.

"Hi Evans. Haven't seen you since Graduation."

**x.O.x**

"Would you excuse me, James? I have to use the bathroom."

"Yeah sure, go ahead." The pretty blonde stood up and made her way across the restaurant. James admired bum as she strutted into the bathroom shaking her hips in an unnecessarily exaggerated fashion.

_She's hot. Now if only I could remember her name…ARGH! Bloody hell!_

James batted away the memo that had been constantly flying around his head like a particularly boisterous mosquito during his date.

"Go away, will you!" he said to it frustrated as it attempted to burrow its way into his ear. Sirius had sent the memo with James to his date so that James would not forget to attend the meeting.

He tried vanishing the dratted thing only to find that it had become even more enthusiastic in its efforts to pull him away from his date.

James checked his watch. It was five minutes to two.

"Alright, alright! I'm leaving!" he said to the memo swatting it away from his left nostril where it had begun to jam itself.

He quickly paid the bill and dashed out before the girl returned from the restroom.

"Jamsie-poo!" a girl threw herself into his arms as he stepped out of the restaurant. "Where have you been? I spoke to that idiot you call a friend, Sirius, and he said you had irritable bowel syndrome and were at St Mungos! I went to St Mungo's to see you and they said that you never checked in! Is it someone else, James? Are you cheating on me? Huh? Or is it because I'm fat? Am I so fat that you have to pretend to have some disgusting stomach bug just so you don't have to see me? Just because you're some big shot journalist doesn't make you better than the rest of us! I thought you were different, James, but you're just like the rest of those men. I can't believe this! How could you do this to me? I _love_ you!"

James groaned inwardly. _Bloody Sirius_, he thought furiously, _of all the diseases he could have picked, he chose sodding irritable bowel syndrome! Typical._

"James Potter! Are you even LISTENING to me?!"

Oh bugger.

**x.O.x**

"I cannot believe I'm working for Sirius Black." Lily groaned, "Ugh. Of all the people in the bloody world I get stuck with the one that has flatulence problems. Just my godawful luck."

"That was one time!"

"You farted on my potions assignment in seventh year and blew it up!"

"It happened nearly two years ago! How do you even remember things like this?"

"You would remember it too if your potion had blown up all over Potter and he cursed all your hair to fall out."

"Haha I remember that! You walked around bald for two weeks and then it grew back all over your face instead of your scalp!"

"Shut up, Black. How you became an editor so soon when you have the maturity level of a ten year old, I will never understand."

Sirius grinned widely. "What can I say, the senior editor was blown away by my talent and my gorgeous good looks that he was compelled to give me this position."

"Two years along the track and you are still an arrogant arse with a ginormous head only to be rivaled by Potter himself." Lily said. She looked around the office properly for the first time and noticing posters of motorbikes and a magically enlarged photo of James, Sirius, Remus and Peter hanging off the walls. "How can you get away with having all that stuck all over your walls? Aren't you a little old for sticking up posters everywhere?"

Sirius shrugged, "I'm indispensable and you haven't changed either," he said observing her bright red hair. "So where did you disappear off to? I always expected you to become an Auror or something but you seemed to have vanished into thin air."

"I took a gap year. Where is the rest of your little gang?" Lily asked trying to move the topic of conversation as far away from her absence as possible.

"Well, Remus works here at the Prophet now. I finally convinced him to let me recommend him last week. Unemployment was really not suiting him. I have no idea what happened to Peter. Haven't spoken to him in ages."

She paused before asking tentatively, "What about um…Potter?"

_Oh, if only you knew,_ Sirius thought.

**x.O.x**

James was running through the busy streets of London. It was 3.00 and he was an hour late to meet Sirius.

"CRAP!" he yelled as he almost got run over by yet another vehicle; the tenth one so far.

_Sirius had better be grateful,_ James fumed as he knocked over a fruit stall and a gaggle of pimply teens outside a computer store, _I left my date half way through and I didn't even get her address and to add a cherry on top of a fantastic day I was assaulted by a crazed, stalker, now (thankfully) ex-girlfriend. _He unconsciously rubbed his still-smarting cheek where a red handprint resided, compliments of the aforementioned ex.

James burst into the Daily Prophet building, which appeared, to the prying muggle eye, as a construction site.

Finally after running up three flights of stairs, down five, across an innumerable number of corridors, meeting countless dead ends and all the while swearing furiously and thinking up slow, painful ways of killing Sirius Black, James threw open the door of said Sirius Black's office.

"I'm here!" he panted, doubling over clutching a rather painful stitch in his side.

He looked up to see a rather tall, red haired girl staring at him with startled green eyes and a shell-shocked expression on her face.

"YOU!"

A/N: Teehee. Bet you really hate me now. VERY IMPORTANT!! PLEASE READ AHEAD!! AHEAD ARE QUESTIONS TO FEED THE HUNGRY PLOT BUNNY!

QUESTION 1: What should Lily's reaction be?

Oh my god! Look at his muscles/eyes/hair/etc! Good grief he's changed.

OR

What the beep is this loser doing here?

QUESTION 2: What should be going on between James and Lily?

mutual loathing

OR

the canonical love/hate story

OR

is Lily is James's ex from Hogwarts?

OR

Something completely different (please specify)

Answer the questions and you get virtual chocolates…best answers will be in the next chappie.

Much Love,

DCB


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary:** For James Potter, head journalist of the Daily Prophet and four-time winner of the Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile competition, life couldn't be any more perfect. But what happens when his arch nemesis, Lily Evans, comes back into his life?

**Disclaimer: **Clearly I don't own it. I wouldn't be writing fan fiction if I did, ya know.

**A/N:** This chappie is dedicated to my first reviewer for this story, **ChocolateIsMyDrug,** who reviewed twice because my story deleted itself, and who incidentally, is a fantastic author and has written some of the funniest Bollywood oneshots ever.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING TO EVERYONE ELSE! Keep it up!

I'm so glad people like it. I wasn't going to put it up on fanfiction originally but one of my friends nagged me until I was ready to throttle her or myself so I gave in just to shut her up. In a friendly way of course, dear, if you're reading this, which you probably are.****

I've deleted "Too Green To Be Blue" and I'm going to get rid of "Quick! To The Laundry!" because it's just pure plotless stupidity. I might repost them, but only after some serious re-writing.

I pretty much had a one sided response to my plot related questions so I think I know what sort of stuff everyone wants to read…

**x.O.x**

**_Previously:_**

_Finally after running up three flights of stairs, down five, across an innumerable number of corridors, meeting countless dead ends and all the while swearing furiously and thinking up slow, painful ways of killing Sirius Black, James threw open the door of said Sirius Black's office. _

_"I'm here!" he panted, doubling over clutching a rather painful stitch in his side._

_He looked up to see a rather tall, red haired girl staring at him with startled green eyes and a shell-shocked expression on her face._

_"YOU!"_

**x.O.x**

Lily blinked stupidly, the unpleasant surprise of seeing one James Potter in front of her leaving her paralysed momentarily.

"What are you doing here, _Evans?_" James snarled, giving Lily the look of deepest loathing that he had always specially reserved for her.

Lily's voice returned as her shock wore off. "I could ask you the same question, _Potter_. But since you really want to know, I'm the new journalist," she replied with a glare that rivaled James's own.

"_I'm _the Head Journalist of the Daily Prophet." James said smirking at the look of astonishment that crossed Lily's face, "Do you know what that means, Evans? It means you're going to be working for me."

"What makes you think that I'm going to work for a prick like you?"

"I guess you'll have to if you want to keep this job. I think you can start by polishing my shoes and then if you're lucky you can bring me coffee. But you'll have to wear dragon hide gloves. I don't want your disease."

"Prongs, will you shut up," Sirius, who had been surprisingly quiet during the exchange, suddenly spoke up, "And Evans, don't listen to this idiot. You aren't working for him; you're going to be his partner for your first assignment."

"WHAT?!" Lily and James cried out in unison.

Lily was furious. She had thought that after seven years of torment she would be free of James Potter but no; she would not only have to work in the same building as him again, but have to constantly see his face. The mere idea that he was in a higher station than her made her blood boil.

From the glares of unadulterated hatred the two had been exchanging, it could be hypothesised that Lily Evans and James Potter weren't particularly fond of each other. And they weren't nor had they ever been. In fact the infamous Potter-Evans feud began in their first year at Hogwarts.

Ever since Lily had dobbed James and his friends in to Professor McGonagall for bewitching the Hogwarts toilets to regurgitate their contents in first year, James had hated Lily from the very top of her red haired head to the tips of her t-bar sandalled toes. He had retaliated by pushing Lily into the lake, in hopes that the Giant Squid would eat her only to have her pushed back to land by the aforementioned Squid and snitch to McGonagall again.

James became even angrier when she consistently scored better in all their subjects. He was goaded to the brink of insanity by the fact that she was just as popular as he was and was on fairly good terms with his friends. James saw Lily as an annoying do-gooder that had stolen his spotlight and took great pleasure in harassing her as mush as possible.

Seventh year brought new hope for Lily. Lily had been made Head Girl, which meant that she and the Head Boy were given private quarters and common room. She was ecstatic because she had thought that at least when she retired to the common room, she would be free from having to look at Potter's smarmy little face. After all who in their right minds would make James Potter Head Boy?

However once again her luck was against her, either that or Dumbledore had finally cracked. Just as she thought she would be free of him, Lily found out that James had been chosen to be Head Boy. James claimed that her shriek of horror, when she had discovered this, had made him go deaf in his left ear.

James becoming Head Boy had made him even more big headed and insufferable. He had also acquired an irritating girlfriend who was permanently attached to him by the hip.

And now when Lily thought that she would never have to lay her eyes on that "stuck up wanker" again and things were finally going all right, she found that James along would be working with her.

"There is no way in this world I'm working with _him_." Lily said glaring at James with the air of someone looking at a particularly mouldy piece of food.

"I would rather chew my right hand off than work with that prudish bore." James countered, returning her look of disgust.

"You're both going to have to deal with it," Sirius said switching into boss-mode, "James is one of the best journalists we have," (here Lily made a derisive noise) "…and no I'm not just saying that because he's my best mate. You're going to work together whether you like it or not. Evans, you're new here so you need the experience."

Lily, looking mutinous, opened her mouth to protest but then closed it again. She needed this job more than anything.

"Fine."

"Great!" Sirius said, clapping his hands together in enthusiasm, "Now to the most important part: your assignment. This is an extremely important assignment because it's also our next mission for the Order."

At this James seemed to stand up straighter. The look of outrage that had been etched across his face had been replaced by one of complete attentiveness. All traces of his previous annoyances had disappeared. His attitude changed from immature to professional in seconds.

It was then that Lily realised that Potter was definitely no longer that scrawny, pre-shaving sixteen year old. Oh yes, he had grown up. _And for the better,_ Lily thought admiring his now tall, lean frame. It was funny how different a person seemed to become in the short space of two years.

Although there were some things that had remained the same. His hair was still irrepressibly messy. Now, however, rather than make him look even scrawnier, it complimented his face. But what really set him apart from the rest, even back then, were his eyes. He had warm hazel eyes that twinkled mischievously when he spoke and seemed to smile even when he was trying to be serious.

Those eyes, framed by his customary wire-rimmed glasses, were, at present, narrowed in concentration.

"Does she know about the Order?" James asked seriously indicating to Lily who seemed to be in some sort of reverie.

The Order of the Phoenix was a secret society dedicated to fighting against Voldemort. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter had joined it shortly after leaving school. Remus had, up until two weeks ago, been sent to live with werewolves to spy on what they were doing and subtly convince them to join Dumbledore's side. James and Sirius, on the other hand had been operating from within the Prophet, cracking down on Death Eaters from inside the newspaper using their status as journalists to investigate suspected Death Eaters, because even the Auror office had spies with Voldemort.

"Yes, that's why she's working on this particular assignment." Sirius answered when she gave no reply.

"Oh right. What are you gawping at, Evans?"

Lily realised she had been staring at James and at the sound of his voice snapped out of her trance.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Lily quipped scowling, feeling embarrassed that she had been caught gazing at him.

"You two are going to be doing a report on Death Eater spies in the Ministry. From sources within the Ministry, we've learnt that old Barty Crouch's son, who, as you probably know, works for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, may be in league with Voldemort. You need to learn whatever you can about him and his past. Next week Barty Crouch Senior is holding a press conference because he's a shoe-in for the next minister for magic. And we can get interviews with him and his son the week after.

"The deadline for the article is a month so we have plenty of time. You both have to be there. Evans, you can go now. James, stay back, I have some important matters to discuss with you."

Lily turned on her heel and left the office.

**x.O.x**

Alice grinned at Frank as they amusedly watched Lily irately pacing up and down their living room.

"I cannot believe I have to work with that complete baboon James Potter! What did I ever do to deserve this?!" she ranted as she stormed around the living room.

"Calm down, Lily. You're just overreacting, as usual." Alice said rolling her eyes.

"_Overreacting!? I'M OVERREACTING? WHAT D'YOU MEAN-_"

"Lily! Will you shut up?" Frank cut Lily off before she completely blew her top. From experience, he knew that you had to head Lily off early otherwise she would build up steam and harp on and on for hours.

Frank, Alice and Lily had been the best of friends since Hogwarts like Sirius, Remus, James and Peter. When Lily had returned from Germany with no place to live, Alice and Frank, who had since married, given her a room in their house to stay in. 

"Just think of it as a way to gain some valuable experience in journalism. From what I've heard James is one of the best writers in the Daily Prophet." Frank said.

"Experience, my arse. That wanker didn't do anything but insult me in the five minutes that we were in the same room. Stupid, puffed up, arrogant _prat_. He thinks he's so great just because he's head journalist. Well I'll show that godforsaken crap-head who's the better writer!"

Frank and Alice looked at each other. Lily was scary when she got herself worked up.

**x.O.x**

James was furious; so furious that he was hitting his head against the wall of Sirius's office.

"Prongs, mate, what the hell are you doing?!" Sirius yelled as James continued to bash his head against the wall.

"Clearly I'm trying to give myself amnesia so I don't have to face tomorrow knowing that I have to work with Evans."

"She's not that bad," Sirius replied laughing at his friend's antics.

"Not that bad?" James stared at Sirius with a look of disbelief, "Are you out of your mind? She has got to be the most prudish snotty girls I have ever had the misfortune to meet. And if that doesn't put you off, one of her best friend at Hogwarts was Snivellus!"

"She was friends with him before Hogwarts. She didn't know he would end up as a Death Eater. And besides she's hot."

"Hot?! Evans is not hot!"

That was an outright lie and James knew it very well, even if he wouldn't admit it. When he first saw her in Sirius's office, he had felt his heart skip a beat. He knew Lily was extremely attractive. Despite his insistence that he hated her, James had fancied her in fifth year. But then again, who hadn't? With her delicate features, red hair that fell down her back in soft waves and long legs coupled with her sharp wit, Lily was quite desirable.

Sirius shook his head. It was almost as though they were back at Hogwarts and James had just had another argument with Lily and had returned to the common room nursing several injuries.

"What are you grinning at?" James asked.

"Nothing."

"Tell me."

"No."

"Is there something on my face?"

"Yeah, there is actually…oh wait, it's just your nose," A new voice entered the conversation.

"MOONY!" the two twenty year olds shouted as they sprinted across to the door where a fair haired man was standing dressed in shabby robes, looking sickly but smiling all the same. James and Sirius rugby tackled Remus Lupin and the three of them collapsed with a thud.

"Oof, James get your elbow off my stomach," Remus groaned.

"Sorry, mate," James said cheerfully and stood back up again, pulling up his two best friends with him.

"What's it like working with us again?" Sirius asked.

"It's different, but I guess it's better than living with brainwashed werewolves," Remus replied smiling, although his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Well, you're back now, and after that particular stuff up, I doubt Dumbledore will send you back to live with them again."

James nodded in agreement, "They can't send you back in there if Greyback is the leader. He'd recognise you straight away. Anyway, I had best be off. I think I might go and throw myself off a cliff so I don't have to see Evans's face again," James said, and left the room."

Remus looked at Sirius enquiringly.

"D'you remember Lily Evans?" Sirius asked him.

"Vividly."

"She works here now. She and James are partners for the Barty Crouch issue."

"Does she know that she's working with you two?"

"Yeah. She found out just a little while ago. Judging from their history and her violent tendencies, she's taking the blow rather well."

"So she still abhors him?"

"Yep."

"And he obviously still hates her."

"Yep."

"Oh dear," Remus said sardonically, "Sort of reminds you of Hogwarts, doesn't it?"

**x.O.x**

**A/N:** That turned out to be extremely crap. But review anyway? There should be more LJ interaction in the next one, hopefully.

And also many thanks for reviews and suggestions to:

_EnchantingBeautifulHypocrite_

_Jordana Kari_

_Broken Warrior_

_pippapear _

_blueholly _

and also for reviewing before my story was deleted:

_Lizzy likes the hot guy_

_Falling Rain Forever_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Here's the next chapter: signed, sealed, delivered: it's yours. Oooh Ooh! (HAHA I LOVE BLUE! Best damn boy band in the world). Thankyou so much to all those that reviewed!! I love you all heaps and heaps. I'm very sorry for the delay. I've been really busy with school and stuff. Exams are getting closer and closer and the evil teachers are really piling on the assessments. Updates will be coming slower now. Again I'm sorry. If want to blame anyone, blame the teachers and also the Australian Education Ministers or whatever they call those idiots in charge of the education system. And blame VCAA. Bunch of wankers if there ever were any. It's their sadistic mission to ruin as many teenaged lives as possible.

Also a very astute reviewer by the name of **ChocolateIsMyDrug** pointed out that I had labelled this as AU in my first chapter even though most of it is canon-ness and I would just like to say that this story was AU when I wrote up a few chapters last year but it's been going through a serious re-write and has now morphed into canon.

**Disclaimer: **Anything you can recognise as JK Rowling's is actually mine! Not. Haha, how 90s am I? Not.

**x.O.x**

**Now on with the story! Not. (Okay I'll stop with the 90s speak now. Not. )**

**x.O.x**

_**Previously:**_

_"So she still abhors him?"_

_"Yep."_

_"And he obviously still hates her."_

_"Yep."_

_"Oh dear," Remus said sardonically, "Sort of reminds you of Hogwarts, doesn't it?"_

**x.O.x**

James was facing an extremely thorny internal struggle. On one side of the ring was the extreme dislike he harboured for one Lily Evans and on the other were his values of following Dumbledore's orders and fighting against Voldemort no matter what the cost.

James knew that he wouldn't be able to complete the assignment alone such was its nature and that as insufferable as she was, Lily Evans was a talented witch. He also knew that Dumbledore must have his reasons for pairing him up with Evans and it wasn't his place to argue about something so small when there were lives at risk.

But that didn't stop him from being awfully mad about having to work with her.

After much deliberation, James decided that he could deal with all that later. First he had to grit his teeth and arrange a time and place to meet up with the wretched witch so they could start working on it. Only question: how to ask the girl he hated for half his life to meet him for a coffee even if it was only for work purposes? And another thing: they were paired together, sure, but how were they going to get this done if they couldn't stand being in the same room together?

**x.O.x**

Lily walked slowly down the corridor to her allocated desk. Prior to her brief meeting with James Potter she had been shown around the Prophet building and been allotted her own table.

Her mind was ready to explode from the frenzied thoughts running through her head. It was hard to believe that just a few hours ago, she had been nervous about beginning a new job with new people, people she had never met before; a new beginning after her disastrous attempt to settle in Germany. But this happy notion of starting anew was flushed down the drain when she met her co-worker.

Lily sat down at her desk and closed her eyes. It was going to be a long day.

"Hey you, carrot-head!" A familiar voice called. Lily looked up and groaned inwardly as she saw James making his way towards her table.

"Can I help you?" Lily asked coldly as he came to a stop in front of her table.

James peered down at her as though observing a globule of Bubotuber Pus. Lily felt an overwhelming urge to punch his stupid face in.

"Do you need something, Potter?" she asked again.

"I believe that we are partners for this project and therefore should be working together," he said grimacing as though the words he spoke were causing him great internal pain, which they were.

"Good for you. Now go away."

"Well if we are to get this done," James persisted, "then we need to meet up-"

"I don't care if Dumbledore's deluded enough to think that I'm going to work with you, there is no way I'm coming within ten feet of you." Lily cut in.

James felt his temper rise at this. Here he was trying to make an effort and all she was doing was being difficult. What was the point of her being in the Order if she wasn't willing to co-operate?

"I don't really care about what you want or don't want, Evans," James snapped, "I would like to get this assignment over and done as fast as possible so I can go back to not having to see your face. So meet me today at the Three Broomsticks in an hour so we can get started. And don't even think about not showing up."

And on that note, without giving Lily a chance to respond, he turned around and left. Lily stared after him, her eyes flashing with indignation.

Just who did he think he was, ordering her around like that?

**x.O.x**

Lily stood outside The Three Broomsticks shivering as snowflakes fell softly from the sky. She had been standing at the entrance of the wizards' pub for about ten minutes, trying to decide whether to go in or not. She truly didn't want to see James Potter's stupid face however she still had her job to think about.

Lily took a deep breath and walked in to The Three Broomsticks. A wave of warmth and the loud rumbling of conversation washed over her. She scanned the pub searching for the bane of her existence. Finally she spotted a mass of messy black hair in a booth in the far left of the pub.

Lily slid into the seat opposite him. James grunted to acknowledge her presence.

"Let's make this quick, Potter. I don't want to stick around you for longer than I need to." Lily said icily.

James grunted again.

"Are you incapable of intelligent speech, Potter? Have you actually descended to the level of troll-speak?"

Luckily Madam Rosmerta, the barmaid, came over to take their orders before James could retort. He settled with shooting daggers at her with his eyes.

"What can I get you today, Mr Potter? And…Miss Evans! Goodness is that you?" Madam Rosmerta asked.

"Yes it is," Lily said, "I'll have a butterbeer, please."

"I'll have a small firewhisky, thanks."

"Right away, my dears." Madame Rosmerta summoned the drinks to Lily and James's table and then bustled away.

"We're not here to get sloshed, Potter."

"I don't think I could handle being around you while I am sober." James said draining his Firewhisky and ordering another one.

This was going to be one long evening.

**x.O.x**

"How long d'you think James will last?" Sirius asked Remus flipping the channel of James's muggle television set. James was quite a fan of muggle gadgets.

Remus and Sirius were lounging around at James's house. Sirius, at the age of fifteen, had run away from home to escape the pureblood mania of his parents and had since been living with James and his family so it was not unusual for him to be at James's parents' house without James being present.

"Five galleons says that the two will blow up at each other ten minutes into the meeting and James will have cursed Lily," Remus replied pouring himself a glass of pumpkin juice.

"Ten galleons says only five minutes and James will return with severe bodily damage because he can't keep his mouth shut."

"You're on."

**x.O.x**

**A/N: I think I'll end the chapter here because I'm lazy and can't be bothered making it longer. But hey, at least you get an update. That has to count for something. I have some pretty cool material planned for this fic so don't give up on me just yet.**

**Thanks for reviewing to:**

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**And also I have five major assessments coming up in the next couple of weeks so I'm taking a bit of a break from writing. Wish me luck, yeah? I'll update ASAP. I promise.**

**Love you all to bits, **

**DCB**


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary:** For James Potter, head journalist of the Daily Prophet and four-time winner of the Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile competition, life couldn't be any more perfect. But what happens when his arch nemesis, Lily Evans, comes back into his life?

**Disclaimer:** Nothing is mine.

**A/N:** Sorry for the massive wait. Exams are over, finally. WOOT I'm free!! Thanks so much for wishing me good luck with stuff. So yes, here's your next instalment in the Potter/Evans saga. It's better than the abysmal previous chapter, I reckon, and more than twice the length. I'm trying to sort out L and J's relationship before making the plot more hardcore. But they won't be madly in love for a while. So hold tight.

**DeWil **pointed this out a while back and I agree. I don't think I've done Lily's character justice. She was meant to be sarcastic and sort of bitter but still likeable. But that got lost in the re-write and now she just seems annoying. Any suggestions on how to fix this?

**x.O.x**

_**Previously:**_

_"Five galleons says that the two will blow up at each other ten minutes into the meeting and James will have cursed Lily," Remus replied pouring himself a glass of pumpkin juice._

_"Ten galleons says only five minutes and James will return with severe bodily damage because he can't keep his mouth shut." _

_"You're on."_

**x.O.x**

Less than five minutes into their strictly professional meeting, James and Lily were already at each other's throats. They had managed to do nothing but squabble and give each other migraines.

"This is so _pointless_." Lily groaned as James downed his third glass of Firewhisky.

"Well, It's not like I'm really desperate to spend my time at work around you either but in case you didn't realise this is an Order mission. You don't have the right to complain and go against Dumbledore's instructions," James snapped, after listening to Lily's relentless complaining. The girls sitting in the booth opposite James and Lily's looked up and watched the two with avid fascination.

"Would you look at yourself?! Strutting about like you own the place and thinking you can tell everyone what to do," Lily said firing up, "You're acting as though you didn't have a single problem with the current arrangements. Stop pretending to be so bloody righteous!"

"Yes I did, but unlike you, I have priorities and I'm not shallow enough to let a petty grudge get in the way of doing the right thing. And if you aren't even able to follow _simple_ orders because some stupid schoolgirl grudge gets in the way, there is no way you would be capable of risking your life for someone. You're far too selfish and egotistical to belong in the Order, Evans."

Lily flinched. The last sentence hit her like a slap on the face. Her sister, Petunia, had shouted something similar at her before she shut Lily out of her life two and a half years ago.

"Don't you _dare_ judge me. You have no idea of what I've been through."

"What was the worst thing that ever happened to you? Your mother get you the wrong shade of nail polish for your birthday? Oh yes, your life must be a terrible struggle."

"Don't talk about me like you know me."

"Maybe you should stop acting like you're the most important person in the world. In case you didn't realise people are dying and here you are feeling all mad because you have to work with someone you don't like."

"That's it. I've had enough. I'm leaving. " Lily started to get up when the door of the Three Broomsticks opened. James froze as a buxom brunette entered the bar. It was the girl that had accosted James and had made him late for his meeting with Sirius.

"Oh Merlin, please not her," he moaned. James remembered that stinging slap across the face she had given him and his hand instinctively went to his cheek. Luckily the handprint had mostly faded before the meeting.

James ducked under the table in hopes that she would not spot him and try to hit him again. But to his horror she had already seen him and was making her way towards their booth.

"Potter! What the hell are you doing!?" Lily demanded as he dived under the table.

"Shhhh!"

"Don't you shush me, you insensitive prick! Why are you under the table?!"

_Screw pride, I don't want to be physically abused again. _James thought.

"Evans, please, I'm really sorry for what I said before but please don't give me away!" James whispered desperately from under the table.

_I will never date a girl for the sex again,_ he promised himself silently, his ego aching terribly from having to grovel.

"What-" Lily never got to finish her sentence for she was nearly knocked unconscious by the what had to be a set of the biggest hooters on the planet.

"Y-Yes…?" she said uncertainly to the large-chested girl.

"I'm sorry but I thought I just saw Jamsie. Where did he go?"

"_Jamsie? _Well…"

_Oh so that's what he hiding from. I could have a bit of fun with this._ Lily sat back down.

James signalled to her frantically, silently begging her to not give him away.

"He's under the table." Lily replied, ignoring his frenzied gesticulations. Lily smiled at him nastily. If he thought for even one second that she was going to help him after everything he said to her, he was stupider than she thought he was.

"James Potter! What are you doing down there?! Were you hiding from me?"

James emerged from under the table scowling heavily. He was going to kill Evans.

"No…er…I dropped my fork," he lied, glaring at Lily. Lily looked innocently back at him, but there was no denying the vindictive glint in her emerald coloured eyes.

"But you're drinking Firewhisky. You don't need a fork for that." Lily stated, clearly enjoying James's distress. James looked as if he was going to implode with anger. A muscle was twitching in his temple.

"What are you doing here, Jess?" he asked forcing his face into a smile, which looked more like a painful grimace.

"I think you deserve another chance, Jamsie. I felt so bad after slapping you. But you know you had it coming, don't you? Of course, you do. So, anyway I've decided to take you back. But you'll have to work for it. What do you say?"

"I'm sorry but I have a-"

"_Of course_ he wants to get back together!" Lily cut in. She would not let him forget what he said to her that easily.

_You are dead, Evans, _James thought angrily.

"Yay!" Jessie squealed, "Jamsie-poo, I love you so much! See you later, boo!" James recoiled as big boobed Jessie left a wet kiss on his cheek and pranced out of the bar, bosoms bouncing wild and free.

"What the hellwas that!?" James fumed.

"What, _boo_?"

"You know very well _what_, Evans!"

"Oh, don't you like dear Jessie, Jamsie-poo?"

"D'you know what, Evans? I've had it up to here with you. You can do the whole assignment yourself. I can't deal with your crap anymore," James stood up and stormed his way across the pub to the exit.

_He can't put up with MY crap?! _Lily was beside herself. She couldn't find any words strong enough to express how furious she felt. So she settled with sending a rather nasty Bat Bogey Hex at his retreating back. By now the entire pub had become silent, as everybody had stopped what they were doing to watch Lily and James.

A startled yell told her that she had not missed. That and the hundreds of bats that were attacking James. She smiled in satisfaction. But the smile was wiped straight off her face seconds later as a jet of blue light was shot at her, barely missing her. James had managed to get rid of the bats.

"Furnunculus!" Lily shouted. Her curse hit James in the face and he shouted out in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his face.

"You crazy bitch, Evans!" he yelled as he ran out of the pub clutching at his face in pain but not before he sent a Jelly Legs curse back at her.

The curse hit her in the stomach and she immediately collapsed, not being able to support herself with her wobbling legs.

"What are you all looking at?" Lily demanded glowering at the people in the surrounding booths who had all stopped to watch James and Lily's spat, "Mind your own business!" Immediately everybody went back to their respective conversations. She snorted. Some things never change, like the crowds that gathered around to watch an infamous Evans vs. Potter shouting match/duel.

Lily muttered the counter curse and stood back up again. It was then that she noticed that Potter had left behind a black notebook. Lily picked up the book and riffled through the pages, curiously. It was an address book. There were at least two dozen girls' names accompanied by addresses scrawled on the pages. A nasty smile formed on Lily's face. Revenge would be very sweet.

**x.O.x**

"Remus, I believe, you owe me some money." Sirius said happily as he observed James's sorry state. Lily's Furnunculus curse had been so strong that James still hadn't managed to remove the boils.

"You were betting on how injured I would get? What sort of friends are you?" James asked outraged.

"Better than you deserve," Remus replied as he grudgingly handed over the gold.

"What did you do?" Sirius asked.

"Why do you always assume that I did something?"

"Because you always do."

"It's not my fault. She is so damn annoying and whiney," James complained, "And she hooked me back up with that stalker, Jessie. Do you know long it took to get rid of her?!"

"The one with the huge hooters?" Sirius said, "Yeah, I remember her. I told her that you had irritable bowel syndrome because she kept coming around at the Prophet to have deep and meaningful discussions about how you feel about her and if you were ready for children. So, anyway, you never said what you did to make her mad."

"I didn't do anything."

" Yeah, and that's why she disfigured your face. Because you did nothing."

"Shut up," James winced at one of the boils gave a particularly nasty throb, "Remus, you're meant to be intelligent. Can't you do anything about these bloody pustules? I think I have one developing down there and I can't walk straight incase my thighs rub-"

"Arghh. Please shut up. The spell's way too strong for any of the counterspells I know. You must have made her really angry. We'll take you to St Mungo's."

"I can't go there looking like this!" James cried.

"You look a good deal better than you normally do," Sirius grinned.

"Shut up, fool. The ladies like me better than you. What does that say about your physique?"

"I'm sure they do. You got beaten up by one "lady" and another one made you break out in nasty little boils. The ladies love you indeed."

"So are you coming to St Mungo's or do we have to tie you up and drag you there?"

"Alright, alright I'm coming." James shuddered as he remembered the last time his friends had attempted to tie him up.

**x.O.x**

_The Hogwarts Express had left. So had the families. She stood solitary on Platform 9¾ waiting, watching for any sign of her parents and sister. But no one came. Where were they? They always came on time. They were always there waiting for her with smiles on their faces and presents in their arms. But this time, there was no one. She was alone._

_Perhaps they had the date wrong. Or maybe they were stuck in traffic. So she sat down and waited some more._

_One hour turned into two, which turned into three. Soon it was dark. The stationmaster had left. She was still there._

_What if they had come for her parents? The Deatheaters? Something awoke within her. She grabbed her trunk and her owl, raced through the barrier and apparated home, internally thanking the heavens that she had gotten her Apparition license the previous year._

_Moments later she reappeared in front of her house. The door was open. An eerie green shadow was dancing over the street. She looked up and her heart skipped a beat. The Dark Mark. _

_She ran inside. "Mum? Dad?!"she shouted desperately. No one answered. "Petty!!"_

_She ran down the hallway, searching all the rooms, her heart beating rapidly. "Dad!" _

_She ran into the kitchen. She observed the scene before her and felt her blood run cold. The very ground beneath her feet seemed to have been pulled away. _

_Images of the tortured, lifeless bodies of her parents lying on the cold hard kitchen floor swam before her eyes."No. Please no." she moaned shaking their limp bodies, "Wake up. Mum, Dad. No. You can't leave me. Please. Wake up."_

_And then she realised her sister was not there. Had her sister escaped the attack? Or had she been taken? _

_"Petunia!" she shouted as she jumped to her feet and ran upstairs looking for her younger sister. She dashed through the door of her sister's bedroom. "Petty!? Are you here?" She threw open the doors of her sister's walk-in-robe and gasped._

_A blonde girl of about sixteen sat, shivering inside the walk-in-robe, partially hidden by an array of coats and dresses. Her face were cut and her clothes ripped. A trickle of blood ran down her face. _

_"Petunia! It's okay. They're gone."_

_The blonde girl got to her feet and walked towards her, a look of hate mingled with disbelief on her face. _

_"You killed them, you bitch." She said in a low voice._

_"Petty?"she stared at her sister with a look of horror_

_"Get OUT!"_

_"But Petty-"_

_"YOU DON'T BELONG HERE, LILY EVANS, YOU SELFISH WHORE! YOU KILLED THEM! THEY DIED JUST BECAUSE YOU WERE A WITCH!" _

_Petunia broke down into tears._

_She walked into the walk-in-robe and put her arm around her sobbing sister but she moved away. "Don't touch me, freak. Get lost. Don't ever come back here again. This isn't your home anymore. Don't even try to come to their funeral. You don't deserve to be there."_

_"Petty, please-"_

_"GET LOST!"_

_So she left. She had been the cause of her parents death. It was her fault. Ironic how just a few hours ago, Potter was telling her that she was probably such an annoying daughter that her parents would be grateful to die because they would be free of her._

**x.O.x**

Lily sealed the last envelope and tied it to her owl, Bert's leg. Bert gave a strangled hoot and flew haphazardly out the window with half a dozen letters attached to his legs.

She closed Potter's little black address book, smiling. Now all she had to do was sit back relax and watch the drama unfold.

**x.O.x**

**A/N: **That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed it.

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